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WWE will present SummerSlam this Saturday and Sunday on Peacock and Netflix from East Rutherford, NJ with a 6:00 PM Eastern start time for the PPV. Here is our take on what will happen on Sunday.
Undisputed WWE Championship Street Fight: John Cena vs Cody Rhodes
Dave: Well, I have said all along that Cena's heel turn and run was super, super lame so I expected when he turned face, it would be lame as well. And, it was. I didn't expect any different. At least he is a babyface now so people can cheer him on the dates that he has left. Watching WWE Unreal and seeing how great everyone involved thought the heel turn was left me laughing. Could it be that WrestleMania and SummerSlam didn't do the crowds that WWE expected because of the turn? Maybe it contributed. In any event, it's time to right the from earlier this year and put the Title back on Cody. Given that it's a street fight, they give Cena some leeway to have a better match. I hope he can deliver.
Mike: Let's just get the belt back to Cody, have a heel attack Cena and all move on...........
Richard: Will Sunday be the night that all is resolved and we leave WWE's darkest timeline? The Cena heel turn has not been too successful, but I have enjoyed some of the recent promos from John. Cody will be the champion again, but I think it is further down the road, and I think the person to take the title from Cena needs to be someone who is made a star by beating him, not taking the place they already have, like Cody. As Mike mentioned on No Name, there will be plenty of 'smoke and mirrors' (cue the Dashing Cody Rhodes entrance music) since it is a street fight. But who will come to help John after obligatory ref bump? If Cody is going to win, I hope he is wearing a codpiece or something else to protect his nether regions from the kick. What if Seth Rollins makes a surprise appearance to cash in and win the title?
World Championship Match: Naomi vs Rhea Ripley vs Iyo Sky
Dave: It is WAY too soon to take the belt off of Naomi. She has been fantastic and should retain here. Rhea and Iyo can get in each other's way and allow the champ to leave with her belt.
Mike: WAY too soon for Naomi to lose. I predict she picks the bones.
Richard: Will Rhea and Iyo recreate what they did at Evolution with Naomi to showcase the Women's division? I don't see Naomi losing the title after the way she won it at Evolution. Rhea and Iyo are at the top of the division and this is the way to solidify Naomi's spot on that level. They should let Naomi lay in wait and be the heel in the match and then take advantage of a mistake by Iyo or Rhea and then pull out the victory. I think it would mean more for Naomi to beat Rhea. Then you can set up a future match with Iyo and Naomi in a one on one situation (if Naomi can get past Stephanie in Paris). WWE is touring Japan in a few months.
Women's Intercontinental Championship No DQ No Count Out Match: Becky Lynch vs Lyra Valkyria (If Lyra loses, she cannot challenge for the title while Becky is champion)
Dave: To me, it would be fitting for Lyra to win the same way that Becky did and get the Title back.
Mike: Becky should retain. That would give Lyra one outlet to redeem herself - The Rumble.
Richard: This should be a good match based on their prior matches, but I think it is time to put this feud on hold after Sunday night. I think that it might be time for a change of scenery for Lyra and if she loses, she can go to Smackdown and feud with Jade over the World Title or Giulia over the US Title. Since it is a No DQ match, it should benefit Becky, but as Lyra said in her 'promo' on Monday that she knows what Becky will do but Becky doesn't know what she is capable of. The stipulation for Lyra if she loses used to foreshadow a win for her, but not this time. Do we see Bayley get involved in the match as she continues to try to find herself?
Men's Intercontinental Championship Match: Dominik Mysterio vs AJ Styles
Dave: Dom has been so good in his role and improved so much. If it's my call, I have him hang with AJ and come out with a win to keep elevating him.
Mike: Dom should retain.
Richard: If you go by the inverse transitive theory of go home shows theorem, Dom should retain because AJ pinned Dom on Monday night in the six person tag match. I think science will be proven correct with Dom successfully defending the title. Will it be a clean victory or will someone in Judgment Day help Dom weasel out with a victory? AJ is destined to be a champion, but I don't think it will be in WWE.
WWE Tag Team Championship TLC Match: Wyatt Sicks vs Street Profits vs #DIY vs Andrade and Rey Fenix vs Motor City Machine Guns vs Fraxiom
Dave: The booking of the tag division has been one of the cold things that WWE has done lately. I expect carnage here but I have no interest. I would put the belts back on The Street Profits and end all of the "we're scare of The Wyatts" silliness.
Mike: I predict insanity. I can see The Guns or The Profits winning. The Profits make more sense...but given they have the Universal haunted house with The Wyatt Sicks, perhaps there won't be a title change.
Richard: Six teams, one ring, many ladders . . . what could go wrong? I think there are too many teams in this match to avoid having a lot of things going on outside the ring. I think we will get a six man race up the ladder with a member of each team on a ladder. It feels like the Smackdown tag team division focuses on a team for a month and moves on. We are almost at that point for Andrade and Rey Fenix. I think them, Fraxiom, or the Street Profits should win this match, but I think there will be some sort of shenanigans to allow the Wyatts to retain. I expect the first 'We Want Tables' chant to start in the first minute of the match.
Men's United States Championship Steel Cage Match: Solo Sikoa vs Jacob Fatu
Dave: I see the Title getting back to Jacob but I think that it will have to wait a little bit. After peaking at the Netflix debut against Roman Reigns, Solo's character has been hurt a bit by the booking. He needs to keep the belt a bit longer and he has the goon squad to make sure that happens.
Mike: I have a vision of Fatu moonsaulting off the cage. I hope to see it, as long as it's safe. Perhaps they can do the old Snuka-Muraco finish where Fatu has Solo totally pinballed all over the cage and he crashes out of the door, so Solo hits the floor first and retains.
Richard: Will WWE right the wrong of taking the title off Fatu or will this be the continuation of the reign of the House of Bloodline? Fatu is destined to be a world champion if they don't mess things up with him. Even with the steel cage, I see Solo's friends do their best to keep Fatu from winning the match. I hope Dave and Mike are wrong with their prediction of a moonsault off the top of the cage, but I wouldn't be surprised if he does it. That can be the way that Solo retains.
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